SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield firefighter donned a survival suit and safely rescued a dog that fell that through the ice of Porter Lake early Thursday afternoon.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the incident began shortly after 1 p.m. when the dog, walking with its owner off-leash, decided to jump into an open patch of water on the lake.

The dog, a shepherd-mix, could not clamber back onto the ice on its own and was stuck in the frigid water some four or five feet from shore.

Lt. Anthony Santaniello, of Engine 3 out of the White Street substation, donned a survival suit and safely tethered to shore and rescued the dog. The dog was out of the water within 10 minutes of the call, Leger said.

The dog was returned to its owner, Leger said, adding that it refused to cooperate when a move was made to bring it inside the fire truck for a while to warm up.